Folding chair



(No Model.)

R. J. HUBBARD.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Patented Mar. 17, 1896.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT J. HUBBARD, OF MOUNT CLEMENS, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,418, dated March17, 1896. Application filed November 11, 1895. Serial No. 568,538. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT J. HUBBARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Clemens, county of Macomb, State of Michigan, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Folding Chairs; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and (-)X- act description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has reference to an improved folding chair; and it consistsof the construction, combination and arrangement of devices hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing the chair in foldedposition. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the chair in expanded positionready for use. Fig. 3 is a detail View of portions of the structure,showing a portion of the seat-frame and one of the rear legs withthe'toggle-joint, the adjacent front leg being indicated in dottedlines. Fig. at is .a detail view of a portion of one of the front legs.Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the chair in folded position onthe line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a chair in foldedposition.

The aim of my invention is to provide a. chair of this class in whichthe seat and rear legs shall fold up compactly and closely within thefront legs and back of the chair into the closest position possible.

My invention is also designed to provide a folding chair of simple andeconomical construction, readily folded and expanded, and one whichshall be durable.

I carry out my invention as follows:

A represents the seat-frame provided with any suitable seat covering,slats a being shown in the drawings; but I do not limit myself thereto,as the seat may be of any desired construction. The sides of theseat-frame are cut away at the rear thereof, as indicated at a.

B B denote the front legs and back posts of a chair, the front legs andback posts being made in one continuous piece.

0 0 represent the rear legs. The rear legs at the top thereof and thefront legs intermediate the length thereof have a jointed or pivotalconnection with the rear end of the seatframe, as by means of a rod D.These pivotal connections, as indicated at d d, Fig. 1, may either bemade by a single rod running across the chair, as indicated in Fig. 1,or a separate pintle or pins maybe employed, obviously, to effect thejoint. I do not limit myself to any specific manner of making thisjointed connection of the seat-frame with the top of the rear legs andwith the front legs. In this manner it is observed that the rear legshave a jointed connection with the rear portion of the seat-frame, thejoint of the rear legs with the seat-frame being common with that of thefront legs and seat-frame. The cut-away portions of the side portions ofthe seat-frame, as at a a, are designed to be suflicient to receive theupper ends of the rear legs, so that the outer edges or sides of theseat-frame and rear legs shall be in the same vertical plane.

E E represent the two arms of a toggle lever or joint having a slidingfulcrum or jointed connection at their adjacent ends, as shown at e, inthe front legs, B. To this end each of the front legs is constructedwith an elongated slot (indicated at b) to receive the fulcrum pin orpivot e and permit said pin or pivot to be reciprocated in said slot. Togive firmness to the structure and prevent wear, I have preferred toprovide the front legs, B B, with a countersunk slotted plate I) aboutsaid slot. The outer extremity of the arm E has a jointed or pivotalconnection with the adjacent rear leg, as indicated at c. The upper endof the arms E of the toggle-lever has atjointed or pivoted connectionwith the adjacent portion of the seatframe, as indicated at a The twoarms E E may thus be connected to the sides of the seat-frame by a rod arunning across underneath the seat, as indicated in Fig. 1, or separatepivot-pins may be employed as required. The sides of the seat-frame areeach cut away or recessed, as indicated at A, Fig. 3, more particularly,and the rear legs are each cut away or recessed, as indicated at O, thecut-away portions A 0 being sufficient to receive the adjacent portionsof the arms E E of the toggle-lever, respectively, when the ICO chair isin folded position, the upper ends of the rear legs being set into theseat-frame sulficiently to permit the lower ends of the arms E toproject downward to the upper end of the arm E when the toggle-lever isin folded position,as indicated more particularly in Fig. 1.

The pivotal points or fulcrums of the seatframe and rear legs with thefront legs are preferably at a point centralbetween the front and rearedges of the front legs, as indicated fully in Fig. 4, for example. Theelongated slots Z) are formed, however, to the front of the centerbetween said front and rear edges of the front legs. It will be apparentby this construction that when the seat is raised into folded positionthe pins or joints e will rise in the elongated slots 1), the upper endsof the arms E folding into the recesses A, while the arms E fold intothe recesses C. The back posts toward their upper ends are provided witha cross bar or brace B, against which the seat-frame may fold, saidbrace 13 being engaged with the back posts toward their rear edgesthereof, so that the seatframe may fold up thereagainst wholly withinthe front and rear edges of the back posts, as shown more particularlyin Fig. 5. The front legs are provided toward their front edges andtoward the base thereof with cross bars or braces B against which therear legs, 0, may fold. The rear legs, 0 O, are preferably tapered, soas to fold wholly within the front and rear edges of the front legs, asindicated in Figs. 5 and 6.

The chair may be provided with any other braces, as may be desired.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1. A folding chair, the combination witha seat-frame, of rear legs, and front legs and back post having a commonpivotal connection with the rear of the seat-frame, and toggle-arms E Eengaged at their extremities the one with the seat-frame and the otherwith the adjacent rear leg, said toggle-arms having a sliding pivotalconnection with the front legs, substantially as set forth.

2. A folding chair, the combination with a seat-frame, of rear legs, andfront legs and back posts having a common pivotal connection with therear of the seatframe, and toggle-arms E E engaged at their extremitiesthe one with the seat-frame and the other with the adjacent rear leg,said toggle-arms having a sliding pivotal connection with the frontlegs, the seat-frame and rear legs folding en tirely within the frontand rear edges of the front legs and back posts, substantially as setforth.

3. In a folding chair, the combination with a seat-frame, of rear legsand front legs and back posts having a common pivotal connection withthe rear of the seat-frame, and toggle-arms E E engaged at theirextremities the one with the seatfran1e and the other with the adjacentrear leg, said toggle-arms having a sliding pivotal connection with thefront legs, the seat-frame and rear legs being re eessed to receive theadjacent portions of the toggle-arms, substantially as set forth.

l. In a folding chair, the combination with a seat-frame, of rear legs,and front legs and back posts having a common pivotal connection withthe rear of the seat-frame, and toggle-arms E E engaged at theirextremities the one with the seat-frame and the other with the adjacentrear leg, said toggle-arms having a sliding pivotal connection with thefront legs, the side portions of the seat-frame recessed at the rear toreceive the upper ends of the rear legs, substantially as set forth.

5. I11 a folding chair, the combination with a seat-frame, of rear legs,and front legs and back posts having a common pivotal connection withthe rear of the seat-frame, and toggle-arms E E engaged at theirextremities the one with the seat-frame and the other with the adjacentrear leg, said toggle-arms having a sliding pivotal connection with thefront legs, the front legs being constructed with elongated slots toreceive the sliding pivots of the toggle-arms, substantially as setforth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

ROBERT J. HUBBARD.

\Vitnesses:

N. S. XVRIGHT, M. A. MARTIN.

